Gospel: Mark 9:14-29
As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John and approached
the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing
with them. Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They
ran up to him and greeted him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with
them?” Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my
son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he
foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples
to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O
faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you?
Bring him to me.” They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit
immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began
to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father, “How long
has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. It has often
thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have
compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is
possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe,
help my unbelief!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the
unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out
of him and never enter him again!” Shouting and throwing the boy into
convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say,
“He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. When
he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not
drive the spirit out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come out
through prayer.”
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Reflection:
How strong is your faith in Jesus?
In the gospel, a boy was possessed by an evil spirit, his father asked
the disciples for help but they were unable to drive it out. Then the father
saw Jesus who just came from the mountain. The father asked for help, he told
Jesus: “I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
Jesus said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will
I be with you? How long will I endure you? Jesus was quite exasperated with his
disciples because they were not able to drive out the evil spirit.
Jesus was also frustrated with the Father because he told him: “If you
can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “‘If
you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father
cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus was frustrated with both the disciples and the father of the boy
and the reason behind was their lack of faith! If only the disciples had faith
they could have easily drove out the evil spirit but they had weak faith.
Are we not like the father and the disciples once in a while? We petition
God to grant us our prayers yet we easily get impatient when He doesn’t reply
immediately. And the reason for this impatience is our lack of faith.
Let us continue to bear in mind these words of Jesus: “Everything is
possible to one who has faith.” (Mark 9:23) – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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